Typewriter ribbon



March 6, 1956 R. J. PREPULA ETAL TYPEWRITER RIBBON Filed Sept. 27, 1954 \wfllllllllllfllllllflllll INVENTORS ROBERT J. PREPULA a GLENN W. PATTERSON United States Patent TYPEWRITER RIBBON Robert I. Prepula, Altoona, and Glenn- W. Patterson, Rosburg, Wash;

Application September 27, 1954, SerialNo. 458,579-

4 Claims. (Cl. 197172)- This invention relates to an improved inked ribbon for typewriters and the like, devised to preclude soil-ing of the hands in installing and removing the ribbon.

The primary object of the invention is to providea novel, practical, and efiicient inked ribbon of the char aeter' indicated above which has a non-inked, non-soiling extension which is used to handle the ribbon.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a ribbon of the character indicated above ineluding a reversible stop means or catch which will pass freely through the ribbon threading or guiding elements of a. typewriter or the like, in one direction only, while the catch is in one position, the catch being manually reversible to permit the ribbon to pass through the ribbon threading or guiding elements in the opposite direction.

A further important object of the invention is to provide an inked ribbon of the character indicated above which can be made in a serviceable and attractive form at relatively low cost.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of one side of an inked ribbon in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of F igure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the fastener washer; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the catch.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated inked ribbon, generally designated 7, comprises an inked ribbon section 8 of any desired composition, length, and width, and a non-inked section 9. The inked ribbon section 8 has a terminal end 10 which is secured, in any suitable manner as by a glued or cemented splice indicated at 11, to the inner end 12 of the non-inked section 9, the non-inked section 9 having a free terminal end (not shown) at the terminus of which a suitable hook or catch is to be provided for the purpose of attaching the free end of 9 to an empty typewriter spindle.

, In the case of a ribbon for an ordinary typewriter, the inked section 8 will be of the usual length, and the non-inked section 9 of a length preferably eighteen inches and of the same width as the inked section 8.

The non-inked section 9 is preferably made of flexible and plastic material of a fine gauge but possessing the characteristics of firmness to allow easy threading through the mechanism of the typewriter, or the like, as well as flexibility to allow it to be wound without resistance on the empty spindle. In packaging a ribbon 7 made in accordance with the present invention, the non-inked section 9 will be fastened to the inked section 8 by a perice manent; convenient splice and will be wound on. the full ihked ribbon spindle immediately after the inked section 8. The first complete wrap or circumscribed turn will completely cover' the inked section 8 allowing all fol-lowing wraps to be free and clear of the inked section 8, allowing the adequate balance of the non-inked section 9' to be free from" contact with the inked section 8'. In this way and during the installation of and removal of a ribbon, the hands or'hand of the operator, coming into: contact only witir'the non-inked section. 9, are never'soiled by ink' present" on the inked section 8.

At a short distance, preferabIy' ahout one inch, from the terminal end 10 of the inked, section 8 and from the inner 'end'12- of the non-inked. section 9, there is secured arevers'ihle stop'or-catch ld.

The catch 14, which is of flat resilient sheet material, such as brass him; comprises a catch body 15 having aronnded' end 16 and'a widened end 17' having end portions 1 8, 18 projectingflaterally beyond the side edges 19, 19 of the body 15'. The body 15 is formed with a pressed out boss 20, preferably concentric with the rounded end 16, which projects through a hole 21 provided in the neuri'nlced section 9; A metal washer 22 is circumposed on the boss at the opposite side of the section 9 from the catch body '15-, and the boss: is swaged, as indicated at- 23; to retain the washer'22. Any other suitable mounting of the catch body 15 on the section is contemplated by the present invention, which permits manual rotation of the catch body 15 from the position shown in Fig ure 1 to an opposite or reversed position.

The combined thickness, in the region of the catch 14, of the catch body 15, the section 9, and the washer 22, should notcxceed the clearances of the ribbon threading or guiding elements of a typewriter or the like.

The longer end 17 of the catch body 15 is turned away from the adjacent surface of the non-inked section 9, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

In installing a ribbon 7, the non-inked section 9 is manually wrapped around the empty machine spindle (not shown) without touching the inked section 8, after the ribbon spool (not shown) on which the ribbon is originally wound has been put in place on the machine. With the ribbon spool installed, the non-inked section 9 is simply passed through the ribbon threading or guiding elements of the machine and fastened to the empty spindle of the machine by its hook type fastener (not shown), with the wider end 17 of the catch body 15 trailing and the rounded end 16 of the catch body leading. The noninked section 9 is then manually wound upon the empty spindle until the catch body 15 has passed completely through the threading mechanism of the machine and reached the empty spindle. At this time, allowable space between the catch body 15 and the inked section 8 now places the inked section 8 in the proper position for normal use. The catch body 15 which has passed through the machine mechanism cannot reverse until desired by the operator, thereby operates the reversing mechanism of the machine in normal fashion. When the operator desires a change of inked ribbons, he must first wind the inked ribbon on its original spindle. When the catch body 15 comes into view, the operator must first reverse its direction. By the use of a pencil, or the like, the operator can, by simply rotating the catch body 15 from its original position to a diametrically opposite position reverse the catch body so that the wider end 17 will then trail and the rounded end 16 of the catch body 15 will lead, and the operator can then continue to wind the balance of the inked section 8 followed by the non-inked section 9 on to the original spindle, the non-inked section 9 again covering the inked section 8 to prevent the operator from coming into contact with the inked sections.

What is claimed is:

1. In an inked ribbon, an inked section having a terminal end, an uninked section having an inner end and an outer free end, means securing the innerend of the uninked section to the terminal end of the inked section, a catch secured on a side of the uninked section having a free end turned away from said side, and means to tatably securing said catch to said uninked section and providing for turning said catch from a first position in which the free end of the catch faces the-inked section to a second position in which the free end of the catch faces in the opposite direction.

2. In an inked ribbon, an inked section having a terminal end, an uninked section having an inner end and a outer end free, means securing the inner end of the uinked section to the terminal end of the inked section, a catch secured on a side of the uninked section having a free end turned away from said side, and means rotatably securing said catch to said uninked section and providing for turning said catch from a first position in which the free end of the catch faces the inked section to a second position in which the free end of the catch faces in the opposite direction, said uninked section comprising a length of flexible plastic material.

3. In an inked ribbon, an inked section having a terminal end, an uninked section having an inner end and an outer free end, means securing the inner end of the uninked section to the terminal end of the inked section, a catch secured on a side of the uninked section having a free end turned away from said side, and means rotatably securing said catch to said uninked section and providing for turning said catch from a first position in which the free end of the catch faces the inked section to a second position in which the free end of the catch faces in the opposite direction, said catch comprising a flexible sheet material body with said securing means engaging said body at the end opposite said free end.

4. In an inked ribbon, an inked section having a terminal end, an uninked section having an inner end and an outer end free, means securing the inner end of the uninked section to the terminal end of the inked section, a catch secured on a side of the uninked section having a free end turned away from said side, and means rotatably securing said catch to said uninked section and providing for turning said catch from a first position in which the free end of the catch faces the inked section to a second position in which the free end of the, catch faces in the opposite direction, said catch comprising a resilient sheet material body having a laterally projecting boss, said uninked section having a hole through which said boss passes, a washer circumposed on said boss and engaging the opposite side of the uninked section from said catch body, and means securing the washer to the boss.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,212,166 Amiss Ian. 16, 1917 

